Love marginal
by Lucia Hunter
Summary: HonoKotoUmi story. The three girls are starting to develop feelings for one another, how will this tragic love triangle play out? Will this be the bitter sunset of their friendship? (Autumn Arc, Volume Two of my 'Songs of Muse; Songs for You' series.)
1. Chapter 5

****Author's Note:** Hello! My first attempt at writing a fanfic after years of reading them. Anyway, it may be a bit painful to read through, but I really tried my best to make it interesting by adding bits of fluff and tons of references (people who are really familiar with Muse's work will get a few additional laughs). I hope you bear with me till the end. *bows*  
The story's written in an anachronistic order so nope, didn't mess up the order of publication. =P It's also actually mostly finished so I'll be publishing two chapters at a time.  
****Enjoy!**

**EDIT: For those of you who're about to read this, it may be nice to take a short break every 2 chapters. It adds to the experience. =P There are 11 'chapters' in this story so just read 2 at a time, then the epilogue.  
This is Volume Two of my 'Songs of Muse; Songs for You' series.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

A series of hurried footsteps echoed in the empty schoolyard, their creator panting as she ran, on and on. She had run this same route so many times over the year and yet none of them could possibly be more exhausting than this time round.

She passed the giant tree in the courtyard, the place where she often had her lunch of bread and sweets from her family bakery. "You're going to get fat," Umi had told her here many times whenever she decided to settle for a lunchtime nap under the gentle shade of the leaves. Not that it had ever stopped her, for that was just who she was. She chased after the things she wanted to do, and went for them without a thought of the consequences.

She ran through the front archway and burst through the front doors, startling Hanayo and Rin who were just about to leave. "Eeh?! Honoka-chan?" Hanayo blurted out in surprise at the blue and orange blur that flashed past her and disappeared just as quickly without a word. The two first-years only exchanged worried glances and exited the school doors, casting one last look over their shoulders before they left. Things had been odd amongst the second-years lately, that much they could sense, but they had felt it wasn't their place to interfere. Rin's hand subconsciously reached for Hanayo's, who interlaced their fingers together as they made their way out.

"Honoka, stop running this instant!" Eli called out when the ginger-haired girl dashed past her, taking the stairs two steps at a time. The leader of Muse didn't even pause to answer the senior, who shook her head in irritation and made a mental note to berate the excitable girl later.

There was no time. She had to get there, before...

_Since when were these corridors ever this long?_ Honoka thought to herself in dismay as she dashed the remaining stretch to their homeroom, the place where she and her childhood friends shared so many memories together. All the precious days they had fooling around, having lunch together on the rainy days, talking about the most mundane things or their idol work. It was here where she had first announced her desire to become an idol, and how far it had taken all of them! This was the place where it all started.

Once she finally reached the classroom Honoka stopped and bent over, catching her breath. Grasping the handle, she slammed the door open with all her might to witness her worst nightmare.

Kotori's lips were joined with Umi's while they kissed passionately. The archer's hands roamed over the other's back from Honoka's viewpoint, pulling the other girl tighter to herself. Despite the noise Honoka had made with her entrance, Kotori hadn't made any effort to break away from the other girl at all. And Umi's eyes, even from as little as Honoka could see, conveyed a smug look. _My victory._

It was inaccurate to say that time had frozen for the ginger-head as she fell to the ground upon her knees. With the sweat that was pouring down her face, she was acutely aware of the passage of time, and just how hideously long the pair continued clinging on to each other. But the world blurred for her when tears came brimming to her eyes, smudging the shapes and colours of all she could see. Which was just fine with her, she had enough of looking at the betrayal in front of her. Her beloved kissing the best friend she ever had... and the worst enemy she ever made.

For the first time since Kotori almost left the country, Honoka bowed her head down and cried tears of despair.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It was after school in the club room, where the members of Muse had gathered to relax after their grueling midterm tests. Rin had earlier walked into a certain pair kissing in the adjoining practice room due to the fact she was one of the first to arrive, and naturally it being Rin, the rest of the club learned about it the instant they stepped into the club room.

"... And that's how we ended up together," Maki concluded her story with a sidewards glance, not meeting the eyes of the other members as she twirled her hair with her right hand in her signature gesture. To her credit, the girl sported only a light blush. Honoka had been expecting the tsundere to be beet red while talking about her relationship with Nico, but it looked like she was handling it pretty well.

Amusingly it was Nico who was acting all out of character, slumped on the table. "Could we not talk about this..."

"But that's so sweet nya!" Rin exclaimed. "Kayochin and I always saw you two staring at each other, but we never expected you two to start dating!"

"And Nico-chan to be the one confessing! In such a romantic way!" Hanayo followed with a sparkle in her eyes.

"We- well, I am the senpai after all, I have to lead my kouhai..." Nico stuttered in a feeble attempt to regain some of her pride. Most of the group only smiled awkwardly, while Hanayo was lost in her own daydreams. Honoka too was zoned out, occasionally stealing glances at Kotori who was seated just across from her. _That wonderfully soft hair of hers... I wonder what it's like to run my hands through it._

Umi coughed politely, trying to restore order to the room. "I thought you said that idols should never be in relationships though. I remember a lengthy lecture from you where you were insisting that we would lose our appeal if we were."

"It's alright if it's within the group! The yuri appeal makes up for it!" Nico proclaimed, hastily backpedalling on her previous stance. "You agree with me right, Hanayo?"

"Absolutely!" Hanayo seconded with an unyielding look on her face, the personality she usually reserved only for her love of idols. Facing the two, Umi only laughed to relieve the tension as she stole glances across the table at a certain girl herself.

_I... what should I do? These feelings of mine..._ Honoka was totally focused on Kotori, who only continued doodling in her sketchbook for the next set of outfits for their upcoming live, softly humming to herself. Catching a few bars of the tune, Honoka recognized it as 'Wonder zone' and smiled dreamily. Kotori had looked so natural in her maid costume unlike the rest. Everything from her gentle demeanour to her lovely voice was suited for the job, it was no wonder she had earned the title of 'Legendary Maid Minalinsky'. _If Kotori would serve me tea and call me 'ojou-sama'..._

"Honoka? Are you okay?" Eli called out across the table, causing the ginger-head to jump and raise a hand to her mouth to check if she had been drooling unconsciously. "You're kind of red. Do you have a fever?"

"No! I mean, I'm fine! Thanks Eli-chan! I think I'll go home first though hehe, those tests really took it out of me."

"Ah, Honoka-chan, wait for me!" Kotori cried out as she began hurriedly packing away her stationery. "My mother's having some guests over tonight so I need to pick up some sweets from your family bakery."

"Ehh? Okay~" Honoka fidgeted while waiting for Kotori to finish packing, struggling to think up a list of conversation topics for the walk home.

A shadow flitted over Umi's face as she stood up too, seemingly sulkier than usual. "I'll head to the dojo for archery practice in that case. I haven't had time to practice lately while studying." Without another word, the blue-haired girl picked up her bag and left the room even faster than the other two second-years.

"... that's why like I said, we should just perform in our school jerseys. It's original enough, and we don't have to put in extra effort into it," Nico was explaining to Rin and Hanayo over in the other corner of the room where they had gone into their own conversation. Maki had flipped open a book and was simply reading away as usual, seemingly uncaring about everything else that was going on. Her true thoughts were betrayed by her amethyst eyes however, which flickered over to linger on Nico every once in a while, creating the faintest tinges of a blush on her face whenever they did.

Eli let out a tired sigh. "We're going to have another troublesome situation again, aren't we?" she muttered under her breath to Nozomi so that the others wouldn't hear. Maki's hand paused midway while turning a page, but then continued on as if nothing happened.

In response, Nozomi flipped the top card of her tarot deck like she always did, to reveal 'The Tower'. In a rare show of hesitation she murmured back, "Troubling times ahead indeed..."

* * *

A cold wind blew across the town, stirring a couple of dead leaves across the streets. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long dark shadows across the town, painting everything in a deep shade of orange. It was nearing the end of autumn, and most of the seasonal trees had already begun to shed their leaves in preparation for the long, cold winter that was coming. The ones that had yet to fall were turning into vibrant shades of yellow and red, swinging weakly on twigs that would soon give way.

"I wonder if we should make a song for autumn," Honoka mused as she walked along the quiet road with Kotori. "We have a summer song, a winter or Christmas song, a Valentine's Day song..."

Kotori's laughter sounded like gentle glass chimes ringing in the wind to Honoka. "You could always ask Umi-chan. She's the one who writes all the lyrics after all. Although I'm not sure what you would sing about for the autumn."

Honoka's response was to look incredulously at Kotori, before grabbing her hand and pulling her along to the point where the downhill steps began at the edge of the school's district. From there they had a wonderful vantage view of the town that stretched out before them, trees decked out in their crimson and golden foliage. The colours of the setting sun lent a certain melancholy to the scene however, that the ginger-head was sure would've hit her hard had she been walking this route alone. But no, she was with Kotori, and...

It suddenly dawned upon her that she was still grasping Kotori's hand. Rather than letting go immediately, Honoka tightened her grip slightly, feeling a guilty pleasure while she turned around to face the other girl. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Honoka asked in an unusually sombre tone, struggling to commit the moment to memory.

"Uwah... the sunset's really pretty. But autumn is a sad season, isn't it? The sun sets earlier and it slowly gets colder, and the trees lose their leaves..."

"No! A lot of really tasty things can only be eaten in the autumn! Like fresh rice, saury, persimmons, some mushrooms..." the perpetually-hungry girl began ticking items off the fingers of her other hand.

Kotori chuckled once more, as she gently took her hand back from the other's grasp. "I don't like being unable to see the sun though. You know, the sun reminds me of Honoka-chan."

Honoka's heart skipped a beat while her hands hung in the air limply, her head snapping over to look at the costume-designer's face. Kotori was looking out wistfully over the town though, her expression melancholic as she asked in a quiet voice. "Hey Honoka-chan, have you been practising our mini-unit's songs for our next live?"

"Uhn," the leader of Muse replied. "You're talking about that song Hanayo-chan wrote the lyrics for, isn't it?.. Since we all decided to write our own songs for our own mini-units instead of leaving it to Umi-chan."

Kotori's face took on a complicated expression. "I'm not sure how Hanayo-chan came up with lyrics like those. When I read it, I felt really sad inside. But I think I can understand the feelings she wanted to express."

Honoka was at a loss for words as she struggled to understand what Kotori was saying. Was it just about the first-year, or them as well? "I... I think I can too," she replied somewhat lamely, totally off from her usual brash self.

The pair stood in silence for a few minutes, Honoka's mind racing to think of something to say. But it was the brunette who broke the silence again. "That's why I wrote the lyrics for sweet&amp;sweet holiday that way after reading the lyrics for Love marginal. Because I think love, though bitter, should still be something sweet and fun. Not painful the way Hanayo-chan described it. I wanted her to sing it, and come to believe it too. Do you think it'll work?"

"I'm sure if you really believed in it, your feelings would definitely reach her!" Honoka replied brightly. _And someday soon, perhaps my feelings would reach you too..._

Kotori laughed once more, starting to walk down the steps. "Uwah, talking about sweet&amp;sweet holiday gives me a craving for macaroons all of a sudden. I should get some along with those sweets later on."

"Wait for me Kotori-chan! And hey! My family runs a Japanese bakery, we don't have those!"

* * *

**Author's Note: Coincidentally, judging from the concerts Hanayo is indeed the center for Love marginal while Kotori is the center for sweet&amp;sweet holiday. =P**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Mogu-mogu..." for a minute, the club room was filled with nothing but the sound of chewing. Three colourful pizza boxes lay open on the table, filling the room with a delicious aroma of cheese and pure baked chewy goodness.

"I'm surprised you managed to get them to make pizzas with almost everything on them," Nozomi remarked while she chewed on a slice topped with plenty of salami. "I've never heard of them customizing pizzas to this extent before."

"Mou... you girls wouldn't make up your minds!" Eli pouted. "Umi kept insisting on her broccoli, Maki with her tomatoes, Kotori with her terriyaki chicken... It's scary how even the usually docile of the group get all fanatical over pizza. Anyway, the staff I talked to were very happy with our business for some reason and agreed to make it with the toppings everyone requested. It was a nightmare trying to convey all that over the phone," she trailed off as her eyebrow twitched at the memory.

Honoka waved a slice in Eli's general direction, trying to talk through a mouthful of pizza. "Mff mff, fon'f stress ouf over small fings." The leader's eyes then widened and she started pounding on her chest, choking.

"Honoka-chan!" Kotori was there in an instant, hitting her childhood friend's back and helping her clear her airways.

"Wah... you really saved me there Kotori-chan."

"How many times do I have to tell you to not talk while you're eating," Umi sternly chastised the ginger-head with seemingly more vehemence than normal as she handed a drink to her. "Swallow before you talk!"

"Eeh, but Eli-chan looked like she was going to burst a blood vessel at the rate she was going."

"I most certainly was not," the regal blond replied huffily.

The spiritual girl beside her flexed her hands threateningly. "Don't worry Honoka-chan, whenever Eli-chi gets stressed I'm always by her side to calm her down~"

Eli's eyebrow only twitched again, as she uttered her trademark phrase. "Harasho..."

And over at the other end of the table...

"Why doesn't our song have pizza in it nya?" Rin asked in an innocent voice. "We don't have enough of my favourite foods in there!"

"And how would you have fit it into the song which barely made sense as it was? We all agreed on only one favourite food item per person!" Nico chided.

"But waffles aren't my favourite! I still don't understand why you both refused to let me put rice in the song..."

Rin and Nico exchanged complicated glances for a second, before the catlike girl moved on with the conversation. "Well that aside, how about when we perform the song, we do it with the food in our hands?"

"With a bowl of ramen?!" Hanayo's eyes widened at the thought. "Is it possible?"

"Of course not, don't be silly," the twin-tailed girl snapped at the other two.

"But we could probably do it with waffles!" Rin exclaimed, carried away by the idea. Standing up from her chair, she began practising the dance with her slice of pizza, which went well until the chorus when she thrust her pizza hand forward. Sailing through the air, the pizza slice landed with a splat upon Maki's face, leaving a smear of mayonnaise as it fell to the table.

Silence reigned in the room; even the other conversations died out. Maki's cheeks dyed an intense shade of red before she calmly placed down her current slice of pizza, grabbed a napkin and dabbed away at her face. Standing up with as much haughty pride as she could still muster, the redhead left the room.

"Uh oh. I think you really did it this time, Rin-chan," Hanayo whispered.

The orange-head crouched down and put her hands on her head. "Uu... What should I do? What if she gets traumatized by it and never wants to eat pizza again in her life?"

"Ufufu, leave it to me," Nico smirked as she grabbed Maki's abandoned slice along with another slice topped with plenty of tomatoes. "Nico shall convince her to eat this slice with her irresistible charm~ I'll bring her back later so you can apologise properly." And with that, the twin-tailed girl left the room.

"Maki-chan looked really mad there," Kotori commented in a glum tone. "We were supposed to be celebrating the end of our midterm papers..."

The group's spiritual girl laughed, trying to lift the mood. "Don't worry too much about it. If Nico-chi went after her, I'm sure Maki-chan will be happy again in no time. Just imagine how she's gonna feed Maki-chan that slice of pizza~"

"Nozomi!" Umi and Eli cried out together in unison, their cheeks flushed from the thought. "Stop putting weird thoughts in our heads," Eli added in a quiet, shy voice.

"Hmm? Does Eli-chi want me to feed her the same way?"

"Woah, I didn't know it was possible for someone to go that red," Honoka commented at the sight of Eli's face, before she took a fresh slice of pizza with bacon.

"Uhm... I still don't get what Nozomi-chan meant..." Kotori interjected hesitantly.

"Ooh let me demonstrate!" Honoka almost jumped out of her seat in excitement. _A chance!_

Umi nearly choked on the green tea she was sipping at the moment, snapping at her childhood friend. "You sit down and eat your pizza! Kotori, don't listen to them."

"Haaaai," Honoka pouted as she turned back to her favourite pastime, eating.

And just like that, another rowdy yet peaceful afternoon went on in the Muse club room...

* * *

It was a relatively quiet afternoon in the school compound; most of the other students had gone home or were attending club activities. Maki sighed as she slumped upon the piano in the music room, thankfully deserted from any other students. _How long more are you going to take, idiot..._

"Everyone, why aren't you panting? Let's go for another kilometre!" the voice of the track club captain echoed in from outside along with the ensuing groans, when the club ran past under the music room's window. As it was nearing the end of autumn the sun was already setting, leaving the club room in a dim amber light. Maki didn't quite have the energy to get up and turn on the lights though.

The door slid open smoothly on its groove, letting a twin-tailed girl in before she closed it quietly behind her. "Maki-chan~"

_About time, idiot._

Bracing herself on the piano, the first-year straightened herself to look at her girlfriend, only to sputter. "Hey! No food allowed in the music room!"

Nico glanced down at the pizza slice upon the napkin in her hands, then back up at Maki before grinning mischievously. "Oops. I guess you better help me get rid of the evidence then?"

Maki frowned and was about to berate the third-year for defiling her beloved music room, when her stomach let out a soft growl. Reminding her that she had barely started eating when that pizza slice had landed upon her face. "Hmph. I guess it can't be helped," she muttered as she walked over and reached for the pizza slice, only to watch Nico put the crust end firmly in her mouth.

"... I've heard of people doing this with Pocky, but pizza?" Maki's palm met her forehead in exasperation.

"I'm hungry too after running all over looking for you! Race me Maki-chan!" the twin-tailed girl then began making a show of chewing, though the pizza slice barely moved.

Not wanting to lose, Maki hurriedly bit onto the other end, sinking her teeth into a juicy piece of tomato. She then began biting in earnest, though in the end Nico barely got beyond the crust, leaving all the tomato and other toppings to the redhead. As their lips touched near the end, Nico let go of the rest and broke off, swallowing the tiny mouthful she had gotten.

Wiping her lips with the napkins Nico had thoughtfully brought along, Maki leaned against the wall beneath the blackboard. "How did you know I was still hungry?"

"Nico will always have her eyes on you~ I could even tell you how little of your first slice you ate before you left."

"So why did it take you so long to find me?" The redhead asked with a raised eyebrow.

Nico paused for a moment, her cheeks faintly tinged with red. "I was... helping you to dispose of that first slice."

It was then Maki's turn to blush. "You... idiot. Whatever," she huffed.

The pair sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, leaning on one another. The weather was turning colder, and Maki could feel Nico's body warmth on her side. The lithe girl was right beside her and Maki's hand reached out for her girlfriend's, holding each other.

"So why did you come out?" The raven-haired girl asked in a serious tone absent of her usual teasing. "I know you couldn't possibly be that angry at Rin."

The composer felt heat rush to her cheeks once again. "Since when did you become Nozomi? Reading everyone's mind's isn't fair."

"Not everyone's, just my beloved Maki-chan's~ Now tell me."

Maki pouted while she struggled to keep her tsundere side down. "I just wanted to be alone with you for a while," she muttered back as she gripped Nico's hand tighter.

"Hehe~ Can't resist Nico's amazing charm, right? Of course, Nico wants-" the rest of Nico's sentence was forcibly cut off when Maki pressed their lips together in a kiss. The third-year was stunned for a moment before she remembered to return the kiss, melting into the younger girl's sudden embrace.

Breaking off, Maki turned her gaze to the side in embarrassment. "We were so busy studying for midterms lately we didn't have much chance to be together. So just for today..."

Nico put a hand on Maki's cheek and turned her head back to face her. For a long moment, amethyst and ruby eyes stared into each other lovingly.

"I guess the rest can wait," Nico murmured before she leaned back in for another kiss.

* * *

**Author's note: Because pizza. =/ I really wanted one of those limited-edition pizza boxes from that Love Live! x Pizza Hut collaboration...  
NicoMaki fluff was surprisingly easy to write. I blame myself for reading too much of Hikari3434's work and Ooshima Tomo-sensei's doujins. ^^"**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Umi-chan, can I talk to you?"

The two of them were seated in Honoka's room, the table between them set with steaming cups of green tea and Umi's favourite, the Kousaka bakery's renowned manjuu. The room was surprisingly well-kept for its excitable occupant: stacks of books filed away neatly in the bookshelves, desktop clear of clutter with only a cute cactus plant upon it. Due to the raging storm that had suddenly blown up outside the windows were closed and the blinds drawn, lending the room a closed-off feel. It was a gloom that seemed to settle upon the two, as Honoka tried to broach the subject she had been meaning to bring up for some time.

"You brought me here for that very reason, isn't it?" Umi replied, sipping her tea to warm herself up from the cold weather. "What is it?"

"Umi-chan, do you think... girls can fall in love with one another?" the ginger-haired girl asked, struggling to find a tactful way to approach the topic.

"... Of course. I have nothing against people like that. In the first place, plenty of Muse members seem to swing that way, isn't it? I don't think there's anyone of us who are against that."

Honoka breathed a sigh of relief. "Well Umi-chan, I'm really scared for once. You see... I like this girl."

Silence.

"I know."

Honoka blinked in surprise. "You do? When? Was I that obvious about it? Eya, careless me, to have let Umi-chan find out my secret so easily..."

The blue-haired girl took another sip of the tea. "You're talking about Kotori, right? I've seen how you look at her for the last few weeks."

"I can't help it! Isn't Kotori-chan just adorable? And all the things she's done for us, and me... she's always been there for me when I needed her. I nearly lost her once earlier this year, I don't want to face anything like that ever again. That's why I don't know what to do, Umi-chan. Should I tell her about my feelings? What if she doesn't... doesn't swing the same way?" Honoka's feelings bubbled up to the surface, gushing out of her after being held in for so long. "I don't want to risk losing her, Umi-chan! But it's so painful to be with her just as a friend. I can't forget or hide these feelings any longer."

Silence fell upon the pair again, Umi's expression unreadable while she cupped her teacup with both hands. Honoka's face was in dismay as she looked down into her own cup of tea and her reflection. _What does Umi-chan think about all this? Will she tell me to confess to Kotori-chan? Does she know how Kotori-chan feels about me?.._

"I don't think you'll fit together well with Kotori," Umi's cold words cut across Honoka's panicked thoughts, causing the ginger-haired girl to look up in confusion.

"Eh?" Honoka froze on the spot. She... she heard that correctly, right?

"You don't understand Kotori at all," the archer continued as she withdrew her hands from the teacup and under the table. "It's the same ever since our childhood, and just like last time. You've never stopped to understand us. All you want is to drag us along with you. You don't love her, you just love your own ego."

_Umi-chan, how could you..._ the ginger-head was shell-shocked. Never in her wildest imaginings had she thought she would be hearing these words from one of her best friends.

"You don't deserve her," Umi concluded ruthlessly as she stood up, smoothing her school skirt down. "I suggest you think things through carefully about the three of us before you act on your emotions."

"Umi-chan!" Honoka cried out while she shot up too, face contorted in anger. "How could you... You're just afraid of being of left alone if Kotori-chan and I get together, just like in the past before we found you! You're just jealous!"

The pair remained standing where they were, Honoka's sapphire eyes boring into Umi's cinnamon eyes. The same eyes she had once thought would always support her from behind, watching her and helping her whenever she fell.

"I won't lose," Umi announced before she left the room, the words hanging in the air behind her.

Losing all tension in her body, Honoka stumbled over to her bed and fell upon it staring blankly at the ceiling. _What... what just happened? Umi-chan would never have said that normally... Umi-chan was always so kind and gentle, stern but helpful. That's not her. That's not her at all._

Snapping up, everything fell into place for the girl when she remembered what Umi had said as a parting shot. "I won't lose," she repeated to herself. "So that's how it is."

_That's right. I won't lose either, Umi-chan. Definitely not to you._

_Just you wait. I'll win Kotori-chan's heart for sure._

* * *

**Author's Note: Aaaand bad things happen. =O Umi-chan how could you. ;_;  
I was totally gonna bully the current followers by making them wait another day, but Love Live! S2 begins airing tonight so lemme ruin everyone's night first before S2 heals their hearts again. ^^" So totally hyped for S2; as Rin would say, "tension agaru-nyaaaa!"**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8," Umi called out as the rest of Muse continued practising their dance, alternating between waving their arms in wave-like motions and claps. 'Mermaid festa vol. 1' wasn't a complicated song compared to most of their singles, yet today's practice seemed rather tough.

In a brief moment, Eli exchanged a complicated look with Nozomi when their eyes met, confirming each other's suspicions.

Sweat dripped off Rin's forehead as she slipped up on a move that involved twisting her body, falling to the ground. "Ouchie..."

"Stop!" Eli shouted, cutting off practice. "Umi, you're going too fast again. That's unusual, what's wrong?"

The blue-haired girl turned a bright shade of red and bowed deeply. "I'm terribly sorry!"

Eli only sighed in response. "I'll lead the rest of today's practice instead. I'm the centre for Mermaid festa so it's easier for me to sit out choreography-wise anyway. Everyone, take a ten minute break, we'll continue afterwards."

Pulling Umi to one side, the third-year talked to her alone by the fence. "Umi, what's wrong?"

"... Nothing. I'm terribly sorry for messing up today's practice," Umi bowed again.

"Umi," Eli sighed, putting a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "We're not senpai and kouhai here, remember? And after all this time, I'll like to think we were friends. You can talk to me if there's anything troubling you."

The archer pursed her lips, glancing over at the rest of the group. "Thank you Eli. But it's really not something I can talk about right now. I hope it'll be resolved soon too."

"It's something involving Honoka, isn't it? She was also having trouble with today's practice. Even Kotori seemed a bit out of it too, now I think about it."

Umi's eyes seemed to glaze over. "You could say that."

"Well if there's anything we can do to help, don't hesitate to tell us, alright? Or take some time off to resolve the issues between you three."

"Thanks Eli."

Back over with the rest, Hanayo sat down next to Rin who hadn't even bothered to get up, handing her a bottle of water. "That practice was really intense..."

"It was so tiring! I can't take it any more nya!" Rin slumped down on the floor.

Hanayo poked her index fingers together hesitantly. "Well if Rin found it tiring too then I guess it wasn't just me... I thought I had put on weight from all that rice I ate recently..."

"Oh? Kayo-chin put on weight? Where, where?" the catlike girl began prodding her childhood friend all over.

"Wah! Stop! Rin-chan! That tickles!"

"I'll tickle all the fat out of you Kayo-chin!"

"SOMEBODY SAVE MEEEE!"

* * *

Honoka sighed as she wandered out of the school gates alone aimlessly. After what had happened yesterday, it was only natural that Umi no longer went home together with her, though she had no idea where Kotori was either. And most of the other members of Muse had errands to attend to, so she had gone on ahead by herself.

Yet again the town was bathed in the dim orange light of the setting sun, though this time the melancholy hit her head-on with loneliness. Honoka hugged herself as a particularly cold wind blew, raising goosebumps on her skin. Winter was almost here. And there was no one by her side to keep her warm this time.

_I said some pretty mean things to Umi-chan too... I know I don't want to lose Kotori-chan to her, but even so, I still want to be friends with Umi-chan. What do I do?..._

Before she knew it, her feet had taken her to the shrine. Wandering in, she threw in a few coins, clapped her hands twice and hesitated before finally deciding on a wish. _Please let the three of us find happiness._

Looking for a place to take a rest, the leader of Muse stumbled over to one of the lion stone guardians by the side, slumping by its base. Tucking her knees inwards towards herself, she felt a slight warmth emanating from the stony base that eased some of the aches from the practice earlier. She had messed up quite a bit: slow on some portions, totally forgetting her moves on some others. Eli hadn't commented on them after the first half of the practice though, only telling her to get some rest with a sympathetic gaze when practice ended.

Her mind was in no less confusion than it was yesterday, but after the wish earlier, she knew one thing. Friendship had won out over love in her mind. If she could only get together with Kotori at the price of Umi's happiness, then that was no way to go. Which meant she had to patch things up with Umi first, and make it a fair match. There was no way to reduce the inevitable heartache at the end, but at least they could aim for it without any negative feelings.

_So much for Kotori-chan saying love shouldn't be a painful thing..._

Sighing, Honoka pulled herself tighter, snuggling into the statue's base. The strange, spiritual warmth contrasted sharply with the cold and she felt so comfortable she could almost doze off...

"Oh? Should you really be here at this time?" Nozomi's playful voice called out, cutting through Honoka's drowsy consciousness.

"Nozomi-chan..." Honoka stared blankly at the third-year clad in her miko outfit, sweeping leaves as usual.

The spiritual girl laughed as she set her broom by the statue, offering a hand down to Honoka. "You can't stay there forever, Honoka-chan. You're late already."

"Late?" Honoka asked in confusion, accepting the offered hand and getting on her feet.

"My cards told me something interesting would be happening in your homeroom around this time," Nozomi smiled while she produced out a tarot card from nowhere, revealing 'The Lovers'.

The ginger-haired girl's mind froze. "You mean..."

"Better start running~" With that, Nozomi picked up her broom and resumed sweeping as if nothing had happened.

As if she hadn't just shattered Honoka's entire world.

Forgetting her schoolbag entirely, Honoka took off running from the shrine.

* * *

**Author's Note:** **Forever sad that NanjoIno wasn't present at New Year Love Live! 2013, and how 'Mermaid festa' was the only group song that day which looked natural without a gap in the choreography. Also, would be nice to see 'soldier game' performed with all three of them some day...**

**Also, issues when writing fanfic right when Season 2 comes out: Honoka actually becomes student council president at the very start of episode 1 (yes, it doesn't make sense to any of us here either). I had to go edit out all the references to Eli as 'student council president' from my fic. xD  
Still not using 'student council president' to refer to Honoka though. Partly because confusing to people who haven't caught up, and partly because seriously, whut? Honoka as president? No. Just no. ._.**

**Amount of NicoMaki present in the first episode alone is killing me though. Official animators gonna put us fanfic writers out of a job with how hard they're shipping that pairing. They were actually out alone at night on a date kyaaaa! **


	6. Chapter 5 again

**Chapter 5 again**

_Did Nozomi-chan really mean that? The only people who could possibly be in our homeroom would be Umi-chan and Kotori-chan..._

Dashing through the deserted streets, Honoka nearly stumbled on a few kerbs and steps along the way. It was starting to get rather dim, though not yet late enough for the street lights to switch on. The wind whistled past her as she ran, but she barely felt the cold compared to the chill in her heart.

Finally reaching the school's gate in her best record time, she continued running across the schoolyard. She had run this same route so many times over this year and yet none of them could possibly be more exhausting than this time round.

She passed the giant tree in the courtyard, where she always spent her lunch breaks with Umi and Kotori. It was a place with special memories in her heart, a place with so much joy between the three of them. And she knew Umi had felt the same way, judging by the number of references in quite a few of her song lyrics about the 'tree of their dreams'.

She ran through the front archway and burst through the front doors, startling Hanayo and Rin who were just about to leave. Honoka opened her mouth to apologise, but could barely continue gasping for breath. Before she knew it, she was past them.

"Honoka, stop running this instant!" Eli called out when the ginger-haired girl dashed past her, taking the stairs two steps at a time. Focused on the stairs upwards, Honoka barely noticed who it was and made a mental note to apologise to the senior later.

For now, there was no time. She had to get there, before...

_Since when were these corridors ever this long?_ Honoka thought to herself in dismay as she dashed the remaining stretch to their homeroom, the place where she and her childhood friends shared so many memories together. All the precious days they had fooling around, having lunch together on the rainy days, talking about the most mundane things or their idol work. It was here where she had first announced her desire to become an idol, and how far it had taken all of them! This was the place where it all started.

Once she finally reached the classroom Honoka stopped and bent over, catching her breath. _Please let Nozomi-chan be wrong. Please. Anything but this._

And so Honoka slammed the door open with all her might to witness her worst nightmare.

Kotori's lips were joined with Umi's while they kissed passionately. The archer's hands roamed over the other's back from Honoka's viewpoint, pulling the other girl tighter to herself. Despite the noise Honoka had made with her entrance, Kotori hadn't made any effort to break away from Umi at all. And Umi's eyes, even from as little as Honoka could see, gazed off into the distance, seemingly with a smug look that only brought her earlier words back to mind. _'I won't lose.'_

It was inaccurate to say that time had frozen for the ginger-head as she fell to the ground upon her knees. With the sweat that was pouring down her face, she was acutely aware of the passage of time, and just how hideously long the pair continued clinging on to each other. But the world blurred for her when tears came brimming to her eyes, smudging the shapes and colours of all she could see. Which was just fine with her, she had enough of looking at the betrayal in front of her. Her beloved kissing the best friend she ever had... and the worst enemy she ever made.

For the first time since Kotori almost left the country, Honoka bowed her head down and cried tears of despair.

_I trusted you. I wanted to make up with you. I even wished for all three of us to be happy together. But you went behind my back and called Kotori-chan out just like this..._

_I guess... this is my loss._

* * *

**Author's Note:** **Poor Honoka ;_; But the story is now at a turning point ufufu~ In fact, we're actually already more than halfway done with the fic! A couple more blocks would wrap it up, aren't you excited? :D**


	7. Prologue

**Prologue**

Placing the Printemps' album into her computer, the girl hit play and leaned against the window, sighing.

_"I'll get on first," I say as I smile and step onto the train  
My lips are trembling slightly  
And these painful thoughts run wild in my head_

_I just want to tell you how I feel_  
_That's all I need_  
_But even though the window is foggy from my breath_  
_My finger won't write your name on it_

Her breath was starting to fog up the window from where she leaned, the cold weather outside causing the vapour to condense. In a brief moment of defiance, she lifted her hand and scribbled the name of her beloved on it, smiling at her own handiwork. Just the thought of the girl sent butterflies through her stomach.

_I want to become pale and transparent  
Because when I stand before you as just a friend  
I can't hide the throbbing in my heart  
I don't want anyone else to notice it  
If only my heart would return my transparent self to me  
Even though we're just friends, I love you  
I can't hide it; I can't forget it  
I lean against the window as I bear this secret_

If she concentrated, she could pick out her beloved girl's voice among the three in the mini-unit, imagining it was her she was singing to. It was starting to get painful lately, hiding her feelings away, sneaking glances, avoiding eye contact... And yet the other girl was still blissfully unaware.

_Tears trickle down my face as the scenery passes by outside  
I pretend it's just from yawning so that you won't notice  
And then look back up and out the window_

_It's because you're next to me that my heart hurts_  
_You're just too kind_  
_And when that other girl talks about your bad habits_  
_It pains me that she knows such things_

And sometimes when she talked with their childhood friend, it hurt that they were all so close together. They all knew each other's secrets and were equally close to each other, and so her feelings meant that someone was going to get terribly hurt no matter whether she succeeded or failed.

_I want to dream that we'll be linked together one day  
By whatever it is that pulls lovers together  
It's a selfish wish, a painful desire  
I don't want anyone else to notice it  
I dreamt that our hearts would be linked together  
And that we'd obtained happiness as lovers  
It's a selfish wish; I'm sorry  
It's surely just my own secret love marginal_

Sometimes, she even selfishly wished that it had just been the two of them together since childhood. It would've been so much simpler then. She would've confessed by now, and surely the other would've accepted, and...  
But that wasn't to be. And in this situation, there was no way she could possibly confess and leave their other friend behind. They had been through so much together...

_I still remember the day we first met  
Why does it shine amongst my memories?_

She still remembered that first day when she met the other two, the memory bringing a faint blush to her cheek. It was embarrassing, but they had come so far since then. Even though her beloved hadn't really changed over the years; she still continued to lead them places neither of them were able to reach on their own...

_I want to become pale and transparent  
Because when I stand before you as just a friend  
I can't hide the throbbing in my heart  
I don't want anyone else to notice it  
If only my heart would return my transparent self to me  
Even though we're just friends, I love you  
I can't hide it; I can't forget it  
I lean against the window as I bear this secret_

With a sigh, Umi turned off the music and tried to clear her mind of distractions. She still had midterms to study for.

* * *

**Author's note: Uwah, plot twist! =O Credits to the Love Live! School Idol Festival wiki translators for the song lyrics. (Also thanks for all that other useful information, really appreciated hehe.)**

**Also, thanks to everyone who left a review/favourited/followed! Your support is greatly appreciated, I'm just really awkward and don't know how to reply to you guys so... Yeah. =X Thank you! *bows***


	8. Chapter 3 again

**Chapter 3 again**

"Umi-chan, can I talk to you?"

The pair were seated in Honoka's room, the table between them set with steaming cups of green tea and Umi's favourite, the Kousaka bakery's reowned manjuu. The archer girl had always found the room surprisingly well-kept for its excitable occupant: stacks of books filed away neatly in the bookshelves, desktop clear of clutter with only a cute cactus plant upon it. Due to the raging storm that had suddenly blown up outside the windows were closed and the blinds drawn, lending the room a closed-off feel. It was a gloom that seemed to settle upon the two, as Umi waited in dread for Honoka to start the conversation she had been expecting for some time.

"You brought me here for that very reason, isn't it?" Umi replied, sipping her tea to warm herself up from the chill that was slowly settling over her heart. "What is it?"

"Umi-chan, do you think... girls can fall in love with one another?" the ginger-haired girl asked, with tact that was unexpected from her normal brash self.

"... Of course. I have nothing against people like that. In the first place, plenty of Muse members seem to swing that way, isn't it? I don't think there's anyone of us who are against that," Umi replied vaguely in an attempt to keep herself detached from the situation. _Plenty of us... if you had actually been watching the rest, Honoka, you would've known I mean everyone._

The leader of Muse seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Well Umi-chan, I'm really scared for once. You see... I like this girl."

Silence. How Umi wished, oh how she wished this was a confession rather than a love counselling session.

"I know," she forced herself to reply through gritted teeth.

Honoka blinked in surprise. "You do? When? Was I that obvious about it? Eya, careless me, to have let Umi-chan find out my secret so easily..."

The blue-haired girl took another sip of the tea, her hands shaking slightly as she struggled to stay calm. "You're talking about Kotori, right? I've seen how you look at her for the last few weeks." _Only because I was always, always watching you._

"I can't help it! Isn't Kotori-chan just adorable? And all the things she's done for us, and me... she's always been there for me when I needed her. I nearly lost her once earlier this year, I don't want to face anything like that ever again. That's why I don't know what to do, Umi-chan. Should I tell her about my feelings? What if she doesn't... doesn't swing the same way? I don't want to risk losing her, Umi-chan! But it's so painful to be with her just as a friend. I can't forget or hide these feelings any longer."

Silence fell upon the pair again, Umi's expression forcedly calm while she cupped her teacup tightly with both hands to stop them from shaking. Thankfully it was a Japanese-style teacup and sturdy enough to bear the stress she was placing upon it with her strong hands. Staring at Honoka's downturn face, Umi considered her painfully-limited options.

_I can't do this. I just can't support the two of them together._

"I don't think you'll fit together well with Kotori," Umi's cold words caused the other girl to look up in confusion.

"Eh?" Honoka's confused expression tore into Umi more painfully than if the ginger-haired girl had cursed at her. _What- what am I saying?..._

"You don't understand Kotori at all," Umi's mind continued against her heart's will as she withdrew her hands from the teacup and under the table, gripping at her thighs; overriding her heart's anguish with physical pain. "It's the same ever since our childhood, and just like last time. You've never stopped to understand us. All you want is to drag us along with you. You don't love her, you just love your own ego."

In all their years together, the archer could've counted with her fingers the number of times Honoka had made that shell-shocked expression. And it hurt that she had been the one to cause it this time, though by now her heart was silent under her mind's overwhelmingly cold calm, a calm trained from years of archery.

"You don't deserve her," Umi concluded ruthlessly as she stood up, smoothing her school skirt down from the ruffles she had caused with her self-inflicted pain. "I suggest you think things through carefully about the three of us before you act on your emotions."

"Umi-chan!" Honoka cried out while she shot up too, face contorted in anger. "How could you... You're just afraid of being of left alone if Kotori-chan and I get together, just like in the past before we found you! You're just jealous!"

The pair remained standing where they were, Umi's cinnamon eyes staring coldly into Honoka's beautiful sapphire eyes. The same excited eyes she had always followed, leading her to sights and worlds she would never have been able to see otherwise.

"I won't lose," Umi announced before she left the room, the words hanging in the air behind her.

Donning her shoes at the porch, she thanked Honoka's mother for the hospitality as she raised her umbrella and stepped out into the rain.

_That's right. I won't lose to Kotori just like this. And my feelings... They definitely won't lose to yours, Honoka!_

* * *

The rain had stopped by the time Umi reached the shrine, her feet subconsciously taking her there as she walked without a destination. The sun had emerged from behind the clouds once more, leaving the faint trails of its orange light as it began to sink below the horizon.

Her mind was still in too much of a muddle to think properly; now that she had calmed down from the heat of the moment she even felt a little faint, almost tripping over the final steps into the shrine.

_What have I done... I'll never be able to patch it up with Honoka after saying all that..._

Leaning against the stone lion guardian at the side of the shrine, hiding away from the main road, Umi slumped down and cried openly for once. Never before had she felt this heart-wrenching pain, this immense sense of loss, knowing that the girl she loved was in love with someone else. Even if she had known it for weeks by now, having it out in the air gave it a final confirmation that struck a deathblow to her heart.

_It's over. It's all over._ Umi's tears intensified as she leaned back against the sturdy stone base behind her, weak in the face of her own emotions. The statue's base drew her body warmth away from her, making her feel even colder than before.

"The gods can help you, but not if you're not honest with yourself~"

Umi hurriedly brushed away her tears, only to see Nozomi in her miko outfit carrying a straw broom. "Nozomi..."

The miko leaned her broom against the side of the stone guardian, squatting down beside the distressed girl and producing a handkerchief out of nowhere. "So, what do you intend to do?"

"How do you-" Umi took the handkerchief and was about to ask what Nozomi knew, but thought better of it. The spiritual girl had always known what was going on in Muse since its beginning. "I don't know. Imagining them together terrifies me even more than just the thought of losing Honoka. She's right, I'm afraid of being left alone. What can I do, Nozomi?"

"Why not learn from the girl you love? It's okay to be selfish once in a while. If you want your wishes to be granted, don't you think you should start chasing the things you yourself want too?"

The blue-haired girl gripped the handkerchief tightly. "So how can I patch things up with Honoka? I... I said a lot of terrible things..."

Nozomi laughed as she helped Umi back on her feet. "I'm sure there's someone better suited for that question than me~ There's always time after practice tomorrow."

"I see... Thanks for the advice, Nozomi."

"Anytime, Umi-chan. Now off with you, it's getting late and you should be getting home~"

As the second-year's back disappeared into the streets, Nozomi took hold of her broom once more and sighed. "My my, the second-years sure are troublesome..."

* * *

**Author's Note:** **You're welcome to read the first chapter 3 again to compare and contrast the two. This was actually one of the first scenes to come into my mind for this fic and drive its creation. =P  
Or actually, feel free to read since the beginning again. xD The few interactions that took place between the three will probably come out in a different light now. One of the things that kept ringing in my head until I wrote up till this chapter was that I absolutely, absolutely had to deceive the reader in all the earlier chapters to make it a decent story. xD I hope it worked.**


	9. Chapter 5 once more

**Chapter 5 once more**

_'Meet me in the classroom after practice. Don't let anyone else know.'_ Umi's eyebrow twitched while she read the text she had sent Kotori once more. In retrospect, she really should have found a way to phrase it better...

The clock upon the wall continued ticking away the seconds, the background sound seemingly loud in the empty classroom. It had been half an hour since practice ended and Kotori still hadn't shown up. Did she not read the message on time? Did something come up? Umi sighed for the umpteenth time that day as she slumped against the window in Honoka's usual seat. The classroom was already starting to get dark as it was...

Finally, the door slid open to reveal Kotori, who seemed pretty nervous as she closed the door behind her. "Sorry I'm late, Umi-chan. I... I couldn't figure out what I should do."

"It's okay, Kotori. I just needed to talk to you about-"

"Stop!" the brunette yelled (somewhat cutely, Umi thought) and raised her hands. "I- I'm sorry Umi-chan, but I can't accept without conditions."

A drop of sweat formed on Umi's forehead. "Uhm, Kotori... I think there's been a misunderstanding here..."

"Eh? Ehhh?!" Kotori replied in a flustered voice. "I'm sorry. Please continue."

"Uh... Okay. Honoka and I had a fight over... something, and there's some misunderstanding between us. I don't know how to patch things up between us this time round."

"Hmm? What did you two fight over?" Kotori tilted her head as she took her usual seat next to where Umi was at the moment.

"I... I can't tell you that," Umi felt the faint tinges of a blush creeping on her cheek. Why on earth did she ever think this was a good idea? Though Kotori was indeed the best person to ask, she was heavily involved!

"Eeehhh? Honoka-chan and Umi-chan are keeping secrets from me..." Kotori pouted. "Hmm Honoka-chan didn't say anything today though she seemed pretty sad... Did she confess to you and you rejected her?"

Umi's faint blush instantly shot into a full-out one when she imagined Honoka confessing to her. "N- no! It's related but no!"

Kotori's expression changed that very instant. "Related? So it's about love? Tell me, Umi-chan," she insisted as she leaned in closer.

"Kotori, there's no real need for you to-"

"Tell me."

At that moment, Umi noticed a steely gaze in Kotori's eyes she hadn't ever seen from her childhood friend, a commanding undertone in her usual high-pitched gentle voice. Was this a side she hadn't shown them all along? What was the trigger that caused her to reveal this side?

Recognizing defeat, the blue-haired girl acquiesced to her childhood friend's demands. "Honoka likes you. I said some very horrible things to stop her from confessing to you," Umi averted her gaze in shame, the mere memory of what she had said bringing a lump to her throat.

"And you did that... because you like Honoka-chan?"

Unable to reply, the archer could only nod.

The next thing she knew, Umi felt a pair of lips pressed against hers lightly.

The moment passed quickly, Kotori withdrew into her seat afterwards. "Well... what do you think?" the brunette asked hesitantly.

Umi's mind spun in confusion. "I... Kotori, I'm sorry, but..."

She was cut off as Kotori launched herself at the archer yet again, this time kissing a lot more passionately. A little less stunned than the previous time, Umi found herself relaxing into Kotori's embrace. Was she... was she actually _enjoying_ this? What about her feelings for Honoka?..

When they finally broke off, Kotori was the first one to speak while still clutching onto the other's arms. "I know I'm not the one you want to confess to. You said as much earlier, correct?"

"Then why..."

"Because this is what I've always been waiting for all these years. Tell me you don't like it, Umi-chan, and we'll forget this ever happened."

"Well, no, but I still don't understand..."

"I want us to be together. All three of us. But you two were always arguing with your strong opinions and I could only stand by the side... I didn't know how you two felt for sure. But if you two are starting to have feelings amongst the three of us, then it's something we can work towards now. I'm definitely sure the love between us is that strong."

After a few seconds Umi stood up, dizzy from trying to understand just what Kotori was saying. "Kotori, just how long..."

"Always," the brunette replied firmly without hesitation; a side totally unlike the supportive, quiet girl she usually was. "This was the only thing that ever mattered to me."

In a moment of revelation, Umi felt like she finally understood her childhood friend fully. In all the time they had known each other Kotori had never made any selfish requests, only steadily supporting the other two from the back and keeping them together. Now she knew why.

Cinnamon and amber eyes stared into each other, conveying meaning and emotions beyond words. Umi was suddenly aware that without a doubt, there was no possible way she could love Kotori any less than she loved Honoka.

Pulling Kotori back into her arms, their lips met once more.

The door slammed open.


	10. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Umi gazed dreamily at the open doorway as she continued kissing Kotori, thinking about what the brunette had proposed. It didn't seem that ridiculous here and now, especially not while locked together with Kotori. Just a week ago she could never have imagined kissing anyone but Honoka, but now... if it was just the three of them together, that was alright, no?

Her gaze sharpened as she finally noticed a familiar head of ginger hair near the ground... was that Honoka- was she crying?

Oh dear, just why was Kotori so good at kissing? Pushing the other girl slightly to break off the kiss, Umi quickly grabbed her by the hand to lead her over to Honoka.

"Honoka-chan!" Kotori finally noticed the other girl by the floor. Oh no, what had they let her see? There was no way she wasn't going to get the wrong idea!

Or rather, the truth was just so unbelievable that there was no way Umi would've ever conceived of it before Kotori had kissed her.

Kneeling down in front of her, Umi grabbed Honoka in a tight hug. "Calm down Honoka, it's not what you think it is-"

"What else could it possibly be?!" Honoka yelled as she shoved the archer away from her. "You betrayed me!"

The words cut deeply but Umi ignored them, baring her heart in an attempt to calm the other girl down. "That's not it! Honoka, listen, I love you!"

Slap. The sound echoed throughout the classroom, reminiscent of the same blow Umi had dealt Honoka a few months before.

Kotori gasped, and even Honoka looked shocked at what she just did. Umi only blinked and gritted her teeth before raising her own hand.

Honoka shut her eyes tightly, but the return blow never came. Instead, she found herself pulled closer as a pair of lips met hers.

Opening her eyes once more, Honoka found Umi's face right in front of her, eyes shut but with a gentle expression on her face, a faint tinge of red dyeing her cheeks. Too stunned to move, she froze on the spot as Kotori sank down beside the pair, and hugged Honoka tightly from the side without a word.

With all the shock at what was happening, Honoka's anger dissipated into thin air. The ginger-haired girl thought back over the years they had spent together. It was always Umi-chan who kept her rashness in check, who stopped her from doing the craziest things that would get them all in trouble. With those steely eyes that would get so easily embarrassed, Umi-chan had been the only one capable of matching her in determination.

Now that she was just mere centimeters away from the other, Honoka couldn't help but notice just how beautiful the blue-haired girl was, with her soft reddish cheeks and long eyelashes...

Did she love Kotori? Yes. But did she love Kotori alone? The answer was a clear no.

Feeling the archer's tongue tease away at her lips, Honoka gave in and started returning the kiss, closing her eyes. _Well, it's not like I hadn't imagined doing it with Umi a few times before... And if Kotori-chan is okay with us kissing right after kissing Umi-chan herself..._

Despite her confusion, Honoka managed to give as good as she got, causing Umi to pull away breathlessly after a while. Kotori immediately placed a hand on the ginger-haired girl's cheek and turned her over to follow up with a kiss of her own.

Though this was the girl she had dreamed of kissing for so many weeks, Honoka couldn't possibly compare the kiss to the one she just had. Both girls were equally precious to her. Sandwiched between the two of them, she felt their body warmth seeping into her, getting rid of the chill that had settled in during the run here.

A few minutes later the three of them leaned against the wall at the back of the sunset-tinged classroom, holding each other's hands. The temperature was starting to fall as well, but none of them could possibly feel any warmer with the others by their side.

"I guess we don't really need to explain things then," Umi murmured.

"You two can't leave me in the dark! I want to know what really happened!" Honoka whined from between the two. "And... is this really okay? I mean, after just now I think I love both of you just as much, but..."

Umi smiled gently while she leaned on her girlfriend's shoulder. "It's okay. Just like Kotori said earlier, I'm sure that no matter what, the love between the three of us is definitely strong enough to withstand anything."

"All I ever wanted was for the three of us to stay together forever. I don't know what will happen, but I'm sure that so long as Umi-chan and Honoka-chan are there with me, it'll be alright."

"We still have to tell the rest of the club about this... this is going to be so awkward to explain," Umi hesitated as she started to blush yet again at the thought.

"Yeah we do... Wait! I think Nozomi-chan already knows!" Honoka exclaimed in excitement.

"Eeh?! How?"

"She was the one who told me to come here to find you two... And she seemed pretty happy about it which seemed really weird because I came expecting to get my heart broken. Ah I see, she planned it all along!"

Umi shook her head in exasperation. "She was the one who got me to meet Kotori today too. That Nozomi... she really never changes."

The brunette on the other side only chuckled. "But it all worked out in the end, right? So we should thank her for helping us out."

"Ehehe... We could always return the favour. For all her help in setting couples up, she seems to be facing trouble when it comes to herself."

"You mean with Eli? Is it really alright for us to interfere just like that?"

"Hehe. I guess we'll leave that problem to be tackled another day~"

Honoka sighed in contentment as she felt the warm weights of her girlfriends leaning on her from both sides. It had been a crazy week for them to be sure, but they were now finally at its end.

She couldn't possibly ask for a happier ending.

* * *

**Author's Note: That which has a prologue usually has a... Well anyway, Kotori might have come off as slightly OOC from source material in these last two bits unfortunately. Admittedly I wrote it in a bit of a rush and was running out of ideas how to portray her and their relationship. I hope lampshading it and the explanation made it believable enough... though honestly having her forever be a yes-girl to Honoka's whims actually seems more unrealistic than a girl biding her time, waiting for the opportunity to make her dream come true.**

**Also, I am terrible at writing fluff orz. This scene gave me so much trouble.**


	11. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

"So things are back to normal?"

It was another cold afternoon on the rooftop, where the members of Muse were taking turns to practise their mini-unit singles. It had been a week since the three second-years started dating each other; both the new year and their next live were quickly approaching.

Sitting by the fence slightly away from the others, Umi had a smile on her face as she watched her girlfriends dance alongside Hanayo, their choreography flawless. Ever since last week the three of them hadn't slipped up in practice again, instead imbued with a vitality and energy that shone through their movements. In fact it seemed to be Hanayo who was having trouble keeping up with the other two, her movements just that little bit slower and less exaggerated.

_I know it's a happy holiday, happy holiday  
Let's meet up and have fun!  
I say it's a happy holiday, happy holiday  
Our voices will make it a shining day  
I know it's a happy holiday, happy holiday  
My true emotions are bursting forth  
I say it's a happy holiday, happy holiday  
It's fine because they're emotions of love, so we'll have a happy time_

Turning to face the blond third-year beside her, Umi laughed gently. "You could say that. It's a lot better than it was before, but it's normal in the sense that this was the way it should have been from the start. Though it took Kotori to open our eyes to that fact."

Eli smiled back as she glanced over at the other girls who were watching Printemps practise attentively. "I'm glad things worked out for you all. Though I can sympathise with Hanayo, her being stuck in the same situation as me."

The archer paused in surprise. Did the regal blonde just confess to a crush? "You mean you and Nozomi..."

"Nozomi- no! I meant Hanayo being stuck in a mini-unit with those two, just like me with Nico and Maki!" Eli's face was almost spouting steam with how red it was, flailing her hands wildly without her usual composure. Faced with that sight, Umi could only laugh.

"It's okay Eli. We'll help you however we can."

"Like I said, you've got the wrong idea!"

_Choco-choco-chocolates (Yummy!)  
And maca-maca-macaroons (Aren't they good?)  
Let's fall into a charming love  
It'll be both sweet and bitter_

* * *

At the end of practice, Nico and Maki were the first to disappear back into the school building, while Eli and Nozomi left to continue their preparation for university entrance examinations. It was the end of a long day, and the sky was already painted in shades of orange.

"Hehe, practice made me so hungry today~ Let's get some snacks on the way home."

"You shouldn't eat so much sweet stuff all the time," Umi chided her girlfriend. "You're going to get fat."

"Eeh, but I really had a craving for some macaroons too..." Kotori interjected.

"That's the way Kotori-chan! Besides, Umi-chan, I grew up in a Japanese bakery, I'm immune to getting fat from sweets!"

Faced with her girlfriends providing a unified front, Umi could only sigh. "Alright, let's stop by a cafe on the way back then."

"Uhm..." a soft voice behind them made the trio turn around, finding Hanayo twiddling her fingers, while Rin stood some distance away with a curious look on her face.

"What is it Hanayo-chan?'

"If it's not too much for me to ask... I mean... If you could tell me..."

"What what?" Honoka asked excitedly, prodding the hesitant girl on.

"I was wondering how the three of you confessed to each other... I mean it's okay if you can't tell me! I shouldn't have asked!"

Umi's face immediately turned red, while Kotori chuckled awkwardly. It was Honoka who smiled slyly. "Oh ho, you have someone you want to confess to, isn't it?"

"... Maybe?" Hanayo was back to prodding her index fingers together.

"You can't be hesitant, Hanayo-chan! Or someone might steal her away from you! Think about it this way, she's like an idol to you, right? So put on your brave face and ask her what she thinks of you!"

Hanayo's personality did a 180 degrees flip as she gritted her teeth and nodded with determination. "Okay Honoka-chan! I'll do that right now!" and with that she went back to Rin.

"That was actually pretty decent advice coming from you," the archer admitted.

"Eya, I guess it's just something I learned over the last week. Though it was both of us who got stolen away by Kotori-chan."

"Shh you two, I can't hear them!"

"Rin-chan! I have a question! What do you think of me?"

"Woah, direct," Honoka whispered.

"And whose fault do you think that is?" Umi sighed.

"Kayo-chin? Uhm... we're good friends?"

"Uwehhh?! I'm always by your side but... we're only friends?"

"Of course nya! We're the best friends ever!" Rin laughed with a brilliant smile on her face as she put her hands behind her head.

"Hanayo-chan! Pull yourself together!" Honoka rushed over to grab the first-year who was collapsing on the ground.

"I think... I think I'm going to write another song for the next Printemps album..."

**Fin.**

* * *

**Author's Note:** **And that's the end of it! The song I'm referencing at the end is UNBALANCED LOVE, of course. Printemps' songs just love breaking our hearts. D=**

**I wrote this epilogue because well, beyond doing justice to the characters I also wished to do justice to their songs (though with the whole bunch of references I've probably already done more than enough). So the title is more than just because I couldn't come up with an original one of my own. xD I really wanted to convey the meaning of the songs here.**

**Once again thanks to all the people who provided me with the inspiration and gumption to write this fic: Hikari3434 for all fluffy things and encouragement, Ooshima Tomo-sensei for all the NicoMaki feels, LLSIF Wiki admin/translators for all the song lyrics, and of course everyone who reviewed/followed/favourited! *bows***

**If you feel this story was great, do consider leaving a favourite or review letting me know what you think. =D**

**Then well, hopefully we'll get to meet again in another future fic. Thank you for reading.**


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